VOA慢速英语2020 尽管新冠疫情，大学毕业生仍获得荣誉

College Graduates Honored Despite Pandemic

The coronavirus crisis has taken much of the university experience away from students in the class of 2020.

It has ended their study early, disconnected friendships and taken away the last memories of their college days. It may harm their career possibilities as the world enters an economic downturn. It has even robbed them of the traditional graduation ceremonies as social distancing limits large gatherings¹.

But while graduates' friends and family may not be able to cheer as they walk across a stage to receive their diploma, many schools have found ways to honor students online.

In the United States and elsewhere, an important part of graduation ceremonies is a message from well-known or respected artists, activists³ and politicians. These people usually give a speech offering advice to the graduates for their next steps in life.

This year was no different except for the fact that these speakers were not standing⁴ in front of crowds of thousands. They made these speeches from home or shared pre-recorded videos online. And students and their loved ones watched on their computers or smartphones, also at home.

On May 4, American actor Tom Hanks, a COVID-19 survivor⁵, surprised graduates of Wright State University's Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures. He made an appearance right before the start of the Dayton, Ohio school's online graduation ceremony.

"You are the chosen ones," Hanks told the students. "You started in the olden times, in a world back before the great pandemic of 2020. You will talk of those earlier years in your lives in just that way."

Former U.S. president Barack Obama also gave a speech online to graduates of American historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, on May 16. Obama did not just offer words of advice, he also criticized how current world leaders are dealing⁶ with the crisis.

"You're going to have to grow up faster than some generations," Obama said. "More than anything, this pandemic has fully⁷, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing. A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge. If the world's going to get better, it's going to be up to you."

Social media companies Facebook and Instagram held their own online event called #Graduation2020. It included appearances from singer Selena Gomez, comedian⁸ Akwafina, actor Matthew McConaughey and many others.

"It's more than a diploma, it's more than graduation. ... It's knowing that you took it, that you went through those hard nights studying," said rapper Cardi B. "Now you're about to start your lives. ... You're about to show what you worked for."

High school graduates did not go unnoticed, as well. Earlier this month, American broadcaster NBC presented an event called Graduate Together: America Honors The High School Class Of 2020. It included appearances by basketball player Lebron James and education activist² Malala Yousafzai.

"I'm also missing my graduation ceremony [from Oxford⁹ University] this year," Malala said. "For most of us this is temporary. We'll continue our education and follow our dreams. But many girls especially in developing countries ... will be forced into early marriages or low-paying jobs to support their families ... So, I ask you to remember them today as you go out and change the world. Don't leave them behind."

Still, some colleges and universities have made different plans for graduation.

Arizona State University turned to robots for the traditional ceremonies at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Graduates took turns moving a robot across the stage to receive their diploma as friends and family watched online.

At Rice University in Houston, Texas, officials are holding an online event with no guest speaker. Others are avoiding online events entirely¹⁰. And graduates at the University of California, Berkeley, say they want their own in-person celebration at a later date.

However, the United States Military Academy class of 2020 has no choice. Last month, President Donald Trump¹¹ said he would want to give the graduation speech in person. School officials have since announced that the graduates will return for the ceremony at West Point, New York on June 13.

I'm Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

graduation – n. the act of receiving a diploma or degree from a school, college, or university

diploma – n. a document which shows that a person has finished a course of study or has graduated from a school

pandemic – n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

torn back the curtain – idm.

comedian – n. a person who performs in front of an audience and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting¹² in a way that is funny

rapper – n. a person who performs rap music or speaks the words of a rap song

1 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

9 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

10 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。